Automatic stopping device for sheet-feeding machines.



No. 789,745. PATENTED MAY 16. 1905.

G. F. LEIGER.

AUTOMATIC STOPPING DEVICE FOR SHEET FEEDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 0012a. 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 789,745. PATENTED MAY 16, 1905.

I G. P. LEIGER. AUTOMATIC STOPPING DEVICE FOR SHEET FEEDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented May 16, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. LEIGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO THE L. BENEDICT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC STOPPING DEVICE FOR SHEET-FEEDING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,745, dated May 16,1905.

Application filed October 28, 1904. Serial No. 230,365.

To a whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. LEIGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cl icago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic StoppingDevices for Sheet-Feeding Machines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for feeding singlesheets of paper in quick succession to printingpresses or othermachines, and particularly to the type of pneumatic sheet-feedingmachines shown and described in Letters Patent N 0. 557,279, dated March31, 1896, No. 588,451, dated August 17, 1897, and No. 624,228, dated May2, 1899, granted upon my applications, and also in my pendingapplication, Serial No. 194,620, filed February 20, 1904.

The invention relates particularly to improved means for quicklystopping the operation of the machine, and has for its object to providemeans whereby the machine will be stopped in case more than a singlesheet is for any cause attempted to be passed down over thedeliveryframe, such stoppage of the machine being caused through themovement of pneumatically-operated mechanism primarily set in motion byan undue thickness of paper, such as two or more sheets or a doubledsingle sheet moving toward the delivery end of the machine. I accomplishthis object by the devices and combination of devices illustrated in thedrawings and hereinafter specifically described.

That which I believe to be new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View showing in sideelevation my improved stopping mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe primary operating mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of thedevices shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, in which correspondingparts are indicated by like reference characters, 5 indicates one of thestandards of the main frame of the machine, upon which the pile ofsheets is supported and upon which is also supported the mechanism forsuccessively lifting the sheets from the pile and feeding them to themoving tapes that are carried by the delivery-frame. The delivery-frameof the machine is not shown, but may be of any suitable construction,such as set forth in my said patents and my pending application. One ofthe series of tapes referred to is shown and is indicated by 6. Thistape 6 approximately indicates the location and arrangement of thedelivery-frame referred to.

7 indicates a sleeve adapted to fit over a fixed shaft 8, extendingacross the deliveryframe referred to, to which shaft the sleeve can besecured in the required position by a suitable set screw 9. Projectingforward from opposite ends of this sleeve 7 are arms 10 and 11, betweenwhich near their forward ends is suitably journaled, so as to freelyrevolve, a roller 12.

13 indicates a third arm, extending upward from the sleeve 7. Ipreferably cast the sleeve 7, the arm 10, and the arm 13 in one pieceand bolt the arm 11 to the outer face of the arm 13; but such parts ofcourse might be separately formed and secured together.

14 indicates a short shaft securely fixed in the upper end of the arm 13and projecting toward the arm 10 and lying parallel with the shaft 8,upon which the sleeve 7 is mounted.

15 indicates an arm loosely mounted on the short shaft 14 and held inplace on such shaft in the construction shown by suitable washers.

16 indicates a pressure-wheel journaled on a pin 17, passing through thearm 15, such wheel lying over the roller 12. One of the tapes 6 passesbetween this roller 12 and wheel 16, as indicated. 18 indicates anotherarm on the short shaft 14 and carries at its forward end a comparativelylight wheel 19, mounted on a suitable pivot-pin passed through the arm18. The arm 18, as shown, is fixed to the short shaft 14 by a set-screw20. It is thus enabled to be adjusted so that the light wheel 19 will beat the exact distance away from the roller 12 to permit a singlethickness of paper, and only a single thickness, to pass freely betweensuch wheel and roller without disturbing the operation of the machine. Asmall portion of the periphery of the wheel 19 is cut away, as indicatedat 21, (see Fig. 2,) so that when such cut-away portion is broughtopposite the roller 12 two thicknesses of paper can be easily pulledforward and out from between the wheel 19 and the roller 12, all as morefully hereinafter described.

22 indicates a short section of pipe suitably secured upon theprojecting end of the short shaft 14 and provided with a suitable andeasily-operated valve inclosed within the casing 23, the stem of suchvalve being indicated by 24.

indicates a rod passing through the valve-stem 24 and secured there by asetscrew or in any other suitable manner. As shown best in Fig. 2, theforward end of this rod 25 is bent downward and then turned to form ahook-shaped end 26, adapted to embrace a projection 27, extendingout'from the adjacent face of the wheel 19. This projec tion 27 is inthe construction shown in the shape of a staple, and such shape I findof advantage in that the two sides of this staplelike projection formefficient stops to hold the wheel 19 in one of its two positions. It isevident, however, that instead of preserving the staple-like form twopins corresponding to the sides of the staple would answer therequirements. In Fig. 2 the parts are shown in their normal position,with the wheel 19 just far enough above the roller 12 to permit a singlesheet of paper to pass freely through. If, however, a greater thicknessof paper than that of a single sheet is attempted to be passed throughthe machine, the effect will be to turn such wheel on its axissufficiently to bring the cut-away portion 21 opposite said roller 12,whereb a suificient space between this wheel and the roller will beprovided to permit of the easy pulling out by the attendant of thepapers between them. As the wheel is turned so as to bring its cut-awayportion 21 opposite the roller 12 the rear side of the staplelikeprojection 27 will move down on the inclined portion of the rod 25 untilthe bend at the lower end of that portion of the rod 25 is reached, whenit will enter the small notch 28. The contact of the rear side of thisprojection 27 with the rod 25 at the notch 28 will prevent the wheelfrom being further turned, and thereby hold it with its cut-away portionopposite the roller 12, as stated.

29 indicates an adjustable weight on the rod 25, which will act todepress the rear end of the rod when the extra thickness of paper hasbeen removed from between the cut-away portion 21 of the wheel 19 andthe roller 12, thus causing, through the action of the rod on theprojection 27, a return of the wheel 19 to its normal position.

The turning of the wheel 19 by reason of an undue thickness of paperbeing fed forward and the consequent turning of the rod 25, as justexplained, causes the valve in the casing 23 to be opened and throughthe operation of the devices about to be described causes an immediatestoppage of the machine.

30 indicates a flexible tube connected at one end to the piece of pipe22 and connected at its other end in the construction shown to anotherpipe, 31, that has communication with a suitable vacuum-chamber 32.

33 indicates a small cylinder connected by a pipe 34 to the pipe 31, inwhich cylinder is a suitable piston, the stem of which is indicated by35, around which stem is a coiled spring 36, which exerts a downwardpull on the piston.

37 38' indicate links suitably pivoted together, the link 37 being alsoattached to the stem and furnishing a bearing for the lower end of thespring 36, and the link 38 being connected at its upper end to one endof a bell-crank lever 39, said bell-crank lever also being pivotallyconnected to another link, 40, in such manner as to have such link andone member of the bell-crank lever 39 constitute a pair of toggles. Thebell-crank lever and the link 40 are suitably pivoted to a support 41,that is attached to a pipe 42, having communication with the pipe 31,said pipe 42 being provided with a valve-casing 43, in which is locateda suitable valve, the stem of which is pivotally attached to the upperend of the link 40, with the result that when the pair of toggles aremoved to be out of line the valve in the casing 43 is opened.-

44 indicates a small cylinder having communication at one end with thepipe 42. This cylinder 44 has within it a suitable piston, the stem ofwhich, 45, is shown, to which stem 45 is adapted to be connected by achain 46 or otherwise any of the usual and wellknown forms ofbelt-shifters or other means for switching ofl the power from themachine. As such power-shifting devices are well known and of many formsand form no part of my present invention, I have not here shown any suchdevice. In my Patent No. 588,452, dated August 17, 1897, is shown such apower-shifting device, and such a construction as there shown maybe'employed, if

the valve in the casing 23. As the free end of the pipe 22 is open, thisopening of the valve destroys the vacuum that had theretofore beenmaintained in the pipe 22, tube 30, and upper end of the cylinder 33,thus permitting the force of the spring 36 to draw down the pistonwithin the cylinder 33, which of course causes the links 37 and 38 tomove and throw the toggles out of line, whereupon the valve in thecasing 43 will be opened, putting the pipe 42 into communication withthe pipe 31, and by reason of such pipe 31 having communication with thevacuum-chamher a partial vacuum will be created in the cylinder 44 infront of the piston therein, whereby the pressure of the atmosphere onthe outer face of such piston will force such piston inward, and therebycause a shifting of the driving devices. It will be noted that betweenthe points of connection of the pipe 34 and pipe 42 with the pipe 31 isa reducingvalve 48, and by this valve the air coming through the pipe 22and tube 30 is checked sufficiently to allow of the creation of asufficient vacuum in the pipe 42 and cylinder 44 to permit of theoperation of the power-shifting devices, as herein described.

If desired, two sleeves, such as 7 with their attached parts, as shownin Figs. 2 and 3, may be employed, one for each side of the machine, andspaced a proper distance apart, so that each side portion of each sheetpassing through the machine will be pressed upon by a pressure-wheel 16and will pass under a wheel 19.

By my invention I provide mechanism that can be cheaply applied toexisting forms of pneumatic sheet-feeding machines and that can bereadily adjusted to permit of different thicknesses of paper passing-freely a single sheet at a time, but which will act to promptly stopthe operation of the machine in case more than a single thickness ofpaper is for any cause attempted to be passed through the machine.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The combination with a sheet-feeding machine, of a wheel and anothermember, said wheel havinga portion of its rim hollowed or cut away andbeing adapted to permit the passage of a sheet between it and said othermember and to be rotated by the passage of material of increasedthickness until the hollowed or cut-away portion of the rim is oppositesaid other member, and means actuated by the rotation of said wheel foroperating power-shiftingdevices, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a sheet-feeding machine, of a wheel and anothermember, said wheel being adapted to permit the passage of apredetermined thickness of material between it and said other member andhaving a portion of its rim flattened or cut away, means adapted tonormally hold the wheel with its said flattened or cut-away portion awayfrom said other member during the passage of materialand to permit itsrotation when a thicker quantity is attempted to be passed, and meansactuated by the rotation of said wheel for operating power-shiftingdevices, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a sheet-feeding machine, of a wheel and anothermember, said wheel being adapted to permit the passage of apredetermined thickness of material between itand said other member andto be rotated when a thicker quantity of material is attempted to be sopassed, a pipe, means for creating a vacuum therein,pneumatically-operated power-shifting devices connected with said pipeand adapted to be caused to operate by the destruction of the vacuum insaid pipe, and means for destroying such vacuum through the rotation ofsaid wheel, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a sheet-feeding machine, of a wheel and anothermember, said wheel being adapted to permit the passage of apredetermined thickness of material between it and said other member andto be rotated when a thicker quantity of material is attempted to be sopassed, a pipe, means for creating a vacuum therein,pneumatically-operated power-shifting devices connected with said pipeand adapted to be caused to operate by the destruction of the vacuum insaid pipe, a valve in said pipe, and means for turning said valvethrough the rotation of the wheel, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a sheet-feeding machine, of a wheel and anothermember, said wheel being adapted to permit the passage of apredetermined thickness of material between it and said other member andto be rotated when a thicker quantity of material is attempted to be sopassed, a pipe, means for creating a vacuum therein,pneumatically-operated power-shifting devices connected with said pipeand adapted to be caused to operate by the destruction of the vacuum insaid pipe, a valve in said pipe, and a rod connected with said valve andadapted to be moved as the wheel is rotated to turn the valve,substantially as described.

GEORGE F. LEIGER.

Witnesses ALBERT H. ADAMS, MINNIE A. HUNTER.

